Page 22 of Ruthless

“You’ll stay with me. I’ll take you to my apartment.”

“But…but…” Mylan sputtered. “I am to guard him.”

“Don’t worry, lad,” Gideon assured him. “You won’t get into trouble.” He turned to Eve. “Isn’t that right?”

“Has he been good to you?”

“Yes, he has.”

“Then he has nothing to worry about. Thank you for taking good care of Monsieur Wright. You’re free to take the rest of the day off.”

She turned her wheelchair around and started down the hallway. They likely made an odd-looking trio. The furious, bruised woman in a wheelchair, the battered man in three-day-old clothing, and the terrified, pale young man.

One of the many things he loved about Eve Wells—she always made life more interesting.

CHAPTER NINE

Gideon stood under the hot spray of the shower for a good ten minutes. Wasn’t the first time he’d gone days without showering. Wouldn’t be the last. Didn’t mean he didn’t enjoy the hell out of finally getting clean when he got the chance.

Being in Eve’s apartment inside the castle was a little surreal for him. As a kid, he’d passed by the palace numerous times. He’d seen tons of photos of the interior and had gone on short tours a couple of times in school. He remembered thinking that no one could really live in such a massive place. That was before he’d met Eve, before he’d realized that beneath the sparkle and the grandeur, real people did indeed live within the majesty. And one of them was the best, most beautiful person he’d ever known.

This was the day he’d been dreading and anticipating. She had been so stunned before that she hadn’t wanted explanations. Today, she would. And he would tell her everything. He would bare his soul and leave it up to her to either accept and forgive him or shred his heart to pieces.

She wouldn’t hurt him out of malice—his Eve wasn’t a malicious person. But she had been hurt so many times in her life, and the betrayal she felt because of him would likely make her forgiveness seem like an impossibility.

He pressed the button to turn off the shower, grabbed a towel from the heated rack, and dried quickly. Stepping out of the bathroom, he looked around the bedroom. This was the guest room and, from the looks of it, hadn’t been used in years. No dust or musty smell, but it just had a feeling of emptiness. He’d already checked the closets and drawers and had found nothing to wear. It was either put his dirty clothes back on or wrap the towel around his waist until he could get his bag delivered to him. He opted for the towel.

Feeling better than he had in days, Gideon walked out into the living area, not surprised to see Eve sitting in the living room, waiting for him. The expression on her face was a study in myriad emotions. The last hour had drained the color from her face, and he could see the pain in her eyes. She was only days out from shoulder surgery, along with the concussion and broken bones she was dealing with. He knew she was likely hurting.

But what stunned him was the heat that flashed in her eyes as her gaze roamed over his body. It had been a long time since he’d seen that look on her face. It was something he craved on a daily basis but had never been able to pursue. Unfortunately, now was not the right time either. Gideon had no choice but to turn away. He was usually good at hiding his reaction to her, but with only a towel around his waist, there was no way she wasn’t going to see what she did to him.

“There’s a robe in the hall closet. It should fit you. I called my butler. Armand indicated your bag had been brought over from the hospital a couple of days ago. They’re bringing it up for you.”

Relieved, he strode to the hall closet, noting that the robe she’d suggested he wear was made for a man. He refused to speculate if it belonged to anyone in particular. Pulling it on, he wrapped the robe around him and then belted it. The moment he did that, he dropped the towel to the floor.

“While we’re waiting for your clothes, why don’t you tell me how you ended up in a dungeon cell?”

“I’ll do that as soon as you get back in bed.”

“Why?”

“Because you look like you’re about to fall out of that chair.”

When she rolled her wheelchair toward her bedroom without arguing, he knew she was well passed ready to drop. He followed her into the bedroom.

“Need help?”

She shot him a quick look, and though there was stubbornness in her eyes, her mouth was drooping with fatigue as she said, “If you don’t mind.”

“There’s nothing you could ask of me that I could mind.”

Without asking how he could help, he gently scooped her into his arms and laid her on the bed. He heard several hisses and gasps and knew she was in more pain than she was letting on.

“Where’re your pain meds?”

“On the nightstand.”

Checking the bottles quickly, he found her pain meds. Handing her one, along with the glass of water sitting beside it, he watched her swallow it down.